Diabetes help

Find out how you can help your diabetes, and if you are at risk from the disease here with Patrick Holford

Diabetes currently affects over 2 million people in the UK with an estimated 750,000 people unaware that they have the life-threatening condition.

By 2010, it is predicted that one in six adults over the age of 40 will have diabetes.

There are two types of diabetes :

• Type 1 is usually diagnosed in childhood and accounts for about 10% of all people with diabetes.
• Type 2 diabetes on the other hand, does not present itself until later on in life (by and large in those over 40).

Being significantly overweight increases risk by over 50 times. With 43% men and 34% women classified as overweight in the UK at present this is a concerning issue.

In addition to the alarmingly high prevalence of full-blown type II diabetes, it is estimated that almost half of over-forties in the west have blood sugar imbalance, which precedes the disease.

Diabetes – Are You at Risk ?

• Are you rarely wide awake within 15 minutes of rising?
• Do you need tea, coffee, a cigarette or something sweet to get you going in the morning?
• Do you crave chocolate, sweet foods, bread, cereal or pasta?
• Do you often have energy slumps during the day or after meals?
• Do you crave something sweet or a stimulant after meals?
• Do you often have mood swings or difficulty concentrating?
• Do you get dizzy or irritable if you go six hours without food?
• Do you find you over-react to stress?
• Is your energy now less than it used to be?
• Do you feel too tired to exercise?
• Are you gaining weight, and finding it hard to lose, even though you're not noticeably eating more or exercising less?
• Do you get very thirsty and pee a lot – especially at night?
• Do you get blurred vision?

If you experience many of these symptoms check you blood sugar levels. You are likely to have insulin resistance and benefit from a low GL diet, plus chromium and cinnamon.

Diabetes is characterised by high blood sugar levels. This can be caused by a number of factors the main one being poor diet, being overweight (especially in the abdominal area), inactivity and chronic stress, along with a significant genetic component.

In high amounts, blood glucose can be toxic and can lead to damaged organs, including the kidneys, eyes, heart, nerves and major arteries. It is not surprisingly one of the biggest contributing risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

The perfect diet for diabetics

Studies have shown that lifestyle interventions focusing on diet and exercise are not only more than twice as effective as drugs in preventing diabetes, but are also more cost effective. The most effective diet is a low Glycaemic Load (low GL) diet.

Following a low GL diet has even been reported to completely reverse adult-onset, type 2 diabetes.

The principle behind the low GL diet is eating foods which provide a slow release of sugar, together with lean protein foods. This leads to less hunger, reduced sugar cravings, increased energy and rapid weight loss, as well as stabilising blood sugar levels.

Along with following a low GL diet, eating oats and cinnamon and supplementing chromium has been found to help control blood sugar.

Click here to find out how to find out if you are at risk and prevent diabetes : www.patrickholford.com/diabetes

Click here to find out Patrick's recommendations to Kyra, our GMTV volunteer : www.patrickholford.com/kyra